Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:56

{You do not guide whom you love} You do not have the power to bring into Islam everyone you love to enter it, whether from your people or others, because you are a servant who does not know who has had their heart sealed and who has not.

{But Allah guides whom He wills} He brings into Islam whom He wills—the one He knows has not had their heart sealed, and for whom divine graces (alṭāf) are effective. He connects His graces to them until they lead them to acceptance.

{And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided} He knows those who are receptive better than those who are not.

Al-Zajjaj said: The Muslims are in consensus that this was revealed regarding Abu Talib. When Abu Talib was dying, he said: "O assembly of Banu Hashim, obey Muhammad and believe him, so that you may succeed and be guided."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "O Uncle, you command them to be sincere to themselves, yet you leave it for yourself?"

He replied: "What do you want, O son of my brother?"

He said: "I want one word from you, for you are on the last day of the days of this world: that you say 'There is no god but Allah,' so that I may testify for you by it before Allah."

He said: "O son of my brother, I know that you are truthful, but I hate for it to be said that I cowered at the time of death. Were it not for the shame and disgrace that would befall you and the sons of your father after me, I would have said it, and I would have gladdened your eyes with it at the moment of parting, because of the intensity of your concern and sincerity that I see. But I shall die upon the religion of the elders: Abd al-Muttalib, Hashim, and Abd Manaf."

{And they say, "If we were to follow the guidance with you, we would be swept from our land." Have We not established for them a safe sanctuary to which are brought the fruits of all things as provision from Us? But most of them do not know.}